Lowell Folk Festival brings a world of sounds July 28-30

Wednesday

Jul 19, 2017 at 10:00 AMJul 19, 2017 at 1:03 PM

By Ed Symkus, Correspondent

There was a time, not all that long ago, when the term “folk music” would conjure up a picture of somebody sitting down with an acoustic guitar and singing protest songs. That’s sure not what the Lowell Folk Festival is about, running in various locations in downtown Lowell from July 28-30. Oh, there will be people sitting with guitars, but there will also be international flavorings, with appearances by folk and folk-related artists from many lands, presenting all kinds of sounds.

Craig Gates, the executive director of the Lowell Festival Foundation, which oversees the folk fest, said, “We try to pick the best of traditional entertainment from all over the world. We have zydeco from New Orleans, we have Afro-Venezuelan, we have Polish polka, we have music from Zimbabwe. There’s going to be bluegrass, Memphis soul, Western swing, and lots more.”

The Lowell Folk Festival has its roots, under a slightly different name, going back 30 years. The Lowell Regatta Association had been putting on different sorts of events at their boat house, and around 1986 they were approached by the National Council for Traditional Arts in Washington to see if Lowell would be interested in hosting the National Folk Festival for three years. That event, which ran from 1987 to 1989, morphed into the Lowell Folk Festival in 1990.

Though the spirit of those early days is still in the air, the festival has gone through myriad changes, one of the most important of which is that it started with performers on two stages, and now acts can be seen on five stages. What hasn’t changed, and this is probably even more important, is that it’s always been a free festival, with funding coming these days from the National Endowment for the Arts, various grants, and a number of local sponsors.

Things get cooking for the annual July festival in the previous December.

“Performers from all over the world fill out applications and send in music samples,” said Gates, who is in his sixth year in the position. “In December, we gather all of the submissions that have come in from the past year. We have a group that culls that down to three of four in each genre that we believe will be available the weekend of the festival. We also have committee members and community members that help select the acts.”

After being asked permission, Gates was game to be put on the spot. With a roster of more than 20 different artists on the schedule over the three days, who was he going to make sure to check out, to sit down for and just be part of the audience?

“I’ve heard a lot about the Sun Ra Arkestra,” he said of the jazzy group that claims to come from Venus. “I hear it’s quite a spectacle to see. And I want to see the Seamus Egan Project. Seamus is a very well-known Irish musician who is playing with a new group.”

Among the other music to be heard is Appalachian folk by Dori Freeman, Syrian oud playing by Kenan Adnawi, African-American gospel from The Branchettes, Chicago blues by Toronzo Cannon, and Cuban street sounds by El Septeto Santiaguero.

Gates pointed out that there’s plenty of seating at three of the five stages, but people can bring their own lawn chairs or blankets to the other two. Food vendors will be everywhere, and there’s special entertainment for kids – some dance instruction – on Saturday at 1:30 in the Family Fun Area.

The event gets started on Friday at 6:30 p.m. when a parade heads out from Boarding House Park. Music begins on Friday at 7:15 on stages in Boarding House Park and at the Dutton Street Dance Pavilion. On Saturday, music begins on all five stages at noon, and runs till about 10:30. It again starts at noon on Sunday, and concludes at about 6:30.

City-owned garages have special parking rates of $15 per day, and the Gallagher Garage (145 Thorndike St.) has a shuttle bus leaving every 15 minutes for City Hall.

The most important question was saved for last, as this is an outdoor festival. What happens if it rains?

“If it’s just light sprinkles, we’ll still go on outside,” said Gates. “But if there’s a deluge, we’ll have various inside facilities.”